An Open Letter to the Members of Congress
Dear Members of Congress:
Each one of you who serve in Congress took an oath:
”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the … against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
A Promise to God
You promised us – you promised God— to defend the Constitution.
The Constitution Now Needs Defending
Has not a disturbing pattern emerged? From what we reliably know,… a pattern of disregard for the law and of presidential power-grabbing?
-You’ve been entrusted by the people … Have you considered that your betrayal of that trust –in failing to rise to the defense of our … constitutional democracy—might reasonably be regarded as treason?
The Oath Does Not Allow You to Weigh the Cost
An honorable person, taking an oath …risks all to fulfill his oath. But you –members of both parties—are treating other considerations as more important. Those of you who .. face a political difficulty in that the assault on the Constitution comes from a president of your own party. It’s not easy opposing your own party’s leadership. But your oath gives you no honorable choice but to defend the Constitution. It does not allow you to defend such a president against the Constitution. It does not allow you to yield to the temptation to ingratiate yourself with power at the cost of the Constitution. You are obliged, by that oath, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Even if that risks your losing your present proximity to great political power.
Your Choice: Which Will It Be?
But the oath does not enforce itself. It requires either your honor in fulfilling your promise, or our wrath in driving from office those who break their oath.
We, the undersigned citizens … , would like to ask you: Which will it be? Are you going to confront this apparent pattern of presidential lawlessness by conducting investigations and following them wherever your oath of office may require you to go? Or are we going to have to find other political leaders to protect our freedom under the rule of law?
[Readers are encouraged to circulate this open letter as a petition to Congress.]
